Unlike he has in past years, Gov. Pat McCrory will not attend the annual Oasis Shriners spring ceremonial and grand parade through Blowing Rock on Saturday, June 4.

The Oasis Shriners apparently were under the impression that McCrory would be attending the parade and delivering a special message from Memorial Park.

Gov. McCrory

But on Tuesday afternoon, Don Reid, a spokesperson for the Oasis Shriners, said that the Shriners became aware on Friday that McCrory wouldn’t attend the event on Saturday. Instead, Reid said that Assistant Secretary for the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs James Prosser will attend.

While Graham Wilson, the governor’s press secretary, confirmed that Prosser will be attending the event as a representative of McCrory, Wilson was adamant that McCrory was never scheduled to attend the event in the first place.

“He was never scheduled to be there. It was never on his schedule,” Wilson said.

During the parade, the Watauga County chapter of the NAACP has planned a “McCrory HB2 Protest” on Main Street in Blowing Rock, where the parade meanders.

However, it’s unclear if the protest will still take place since McCrory isn’t attending the event. Watauga NAACP Branch President Todd Carter couldn’t be reached on Tuesday.